Has anyone stayed at the Barcelo in Ixtapa? Haven't heard too much about it, thinking of staying there March, 2003. How's the beach, rooms, food, drink &amp; entertainment?<BR>thanks!<BR>Helen

Stayed there summer of 2001 and had a great time. Nice hotel, beautiful pool and property, right on the busiest beach of Ixtapa. If you have children, be careful of the undertow along the beach as Ixtapa is known for some pretty rough waves at times and strong undertow. For an A/I, the food was pretty good. Evening meals with stage shows changed themes every night; pretty good entertainment. Be sure and get an oceanview room; worth and extra expense. Rooms are adequate and balconies are small, but the view is great.

Thanks for the info. I'm concerned about the undertow - should we avoid the water? Had hoped to do some snorkeling off the beach. Also, what to pack for daytime wandering/exploring and nightlife - dressy or casual?

We went out chest deep in the water and had no problems, but I could definitely feel the undertow and was careful. I would just watch it with kids and not let them get too far out. There is no snorkelling off the main beach. The best place to go for that is Isla Ixtapa, which you can do on a tour or just on your own.. Go to the Coral Beach side of the island and there's some decent snorkelling there. I believe there's also some snorkelling areas out of Zihuatanejo around Playa Las Gatas, but I haven't been out there, so am notfamiliar. As far as clothing, we found Ixtapa to be very casual. If you want to splurge on a really nice dinner outside of the hotel, Villa de la Selva in Ixtapa, or La Casa Que Canta have really good food ($$$$) and beautiful views of the sunset. You might want to dress up a little more for there.

There are some excellent detailed trip reports from people who have stayed at the Barcel&oacute; on the message board at:<BR>www.zihuatanejo.net/wwwboard/<BR><BR>Just browse the board, or type barcelo into the search box. You'll find lots of knowledgable people who can answer any specific questions about the hotel as well as the area (not to detract from this wonderful message board, simply that the other is more area specific).

Thanks, Roberto - great site! I've bookmarked it for future reference. Also, a previous poster suggested upgrading to an oceanview room - we've booked with a travel agent and we're part of a group. The agent basically said we get what the hotel gives us - do we dare contact the hotel directly?